Travelling from Florence to Siena: Every Option Compared
How to cover the Florence to Siena distance and get there by bus, train, or car, with clear times, prices, and advice on whether Siena works as a day trip.
Florence to Siena: the distance and why it matters
Siena sits 90 km south of Florence by road. In practical terms, this translates to roughly 1.5 hours by the most direct route. For tourists based in Florence, Siena is close enough to do as a long day trip, far enough that a rushed half-day visit does the city a disservice.
Siena’s Piazza del Campo is one of the most studied medieval civic spaces in Europe. The Duomo is loaded with works that would justify a standalone visit in any other city. The streets between the two retain a texture and density of medieval fabric that is remarkable even by Tuscan standards.
The question for most visitors is not whether to go, but how. This guide covers all three realistic options, bus, train, and car, with the specific information you need to choose and execute.
Going by bus: the simplest option
The bus is the most popular choice for visitors without a car, and for good reason. It is direct, affordable, and deposits you close to Siena’s historic centre.
Operators: SENA/Flixbus and Tiemme/Autolinee Toscane both run services on this route. Check both platforms before booking as schedules and prices differ slightly.
Route: Florence Santa Maria Novella bus station (the bus terminal is in Piazza Santa Maria Novella, adjacent to the train station) to Siena Piazza Gramsci. Piazza Gramsci is inside the city walls, approximately 5 to 10 minutes on foot from Piazza del Campo.
Journey time: The express service via the Superstrada Firenze-Siena takes approximately 1.5 hours. Slower services via the SR2 road take 2 to 2.5 hours and are cheaper but not recommended if time matters.
Prices: Approximately 7 to 10 euros each way on the express service. Buy online in advance for the best price and to confirm you have a seat on your preferred departure.
Frequency: Express buses run roughly every 30 to 60 minutes during the day. This means you have flexibility on departure times rather than being tied to a single morning bus.
Going by train: slower but still workable
No direct train runs between Florence and Siena. You change at Empoli.
Route: Florence Santa Maria Novella to Empoli (approximately 30 minutes), then Empoli to Siena (approximately 60 minutes). Total door-to-door time, including the connection, runs from 1.5 to 1.75 hours.
Connections: Trains from Florence to Empoli are frequent, roughly every 15 to 30 minutes. The onward train from Empoli to Siena is less regular, running approximately every 45 to 60 minutes. Check the Trenitalia website or app for the specific combination on your travel date before committing to a time.
Prices: A second-class regional ticket from Florence to Siena costs approximately 9 to 14 euros each way. Regional trains have flat pricing and no booking requirement, so you can buy on the day.
One complication: Siena’s train station sits at the base of the hill the city occupies. The station is roughly 2 km from Piazza del Campo, which means an additional transfer. City buses (Tiemme lines 3 and 10) run from the station to the centre for approximately 1.70 euros. A taxi costs 8 to 10 euros.
The train works if the bus schedule does not suit you. But accounting for the Empoli change and the station-to-centre transfer, it is generally slower and less convenient door to door.
Going by car: the scenic route
Distance and time: 90 km by the Superstrada Firenze-Siena (also marked SR2 or FI-SI). Travel time is 1 to 1.5 hours depending on traffic. The superstrada is toll-free.
Scenic alternative: The parallel SS222, known as the Chiantigiana, winds through the heart of the Chianti wine country. Driving it adds time but passes through some of the finest vineyard and hill scenery in Tuscany. A good compromise is to take the superstrada south and return on the Chiantigiana.
Parking: Siena has a ZTL covering its historic centre. Driving directly to Piazza del Campo is not possible. Practical parking options include Parcheggio Santa Caterina near the city walls, connected to the centre by escalator and elevator for roughly 2 euros per hour; Parcheggio il Campo, which sits directly below the Piazza del Campo and provides elevator access for roughly 2 euros per hour; and free peripheral parking near the football stadium or on the ring road, requiring a 30-minute walk to the centre.
Arrive before 10:00 on weekends and in summer to find parking without difficulty. By 10:30 on a busy summer weekend, both paid car parks fill quickly.
What to do in Siena in a day
A day trip from Florence leaves you roughly 6 to 7 hours in Siena if you take the first morning bus and the last evening bus. That is enough for a focused visit.
Piazza del Campo: The main piazza, built in a fan shape over the medieval contours of the hill. The Torre del Mangia rises from the Palazzo Pubblico on one side. The tower climb (entry 10 euros, 503 steps) delivers views over the surrounding Sienese hills and should be done before the midday heat. The piazza itself is one of those rare public spaces that rewards sitting still for 20 minutes more than rushing through.
Siena Duomo and Piccolomini Library: The cathedral facade is one of the most elaborate in Italy. The interior has an inlaid marble floor that is considered one of the great works of 14th-century art. Entry to the full cathedral complex runs approximately 13 to 15 euros depending on which combination you choose.
Museo Civico in the Palazzo Pubblico: Entry 10 euros. The museum holds Ambrogio Lorenzetti’s Allegory of Good and Bad Government, a 14th-century fresco cycle that is among the most important secular paintings of the medieval period. It is both art history and a document of what a good medieval city was supposed to look like.
If you can do only two things: the Piazza del Campo with the Torre del Mangia and the Duomo. Between them they represent the civic and religious heart of Siena and are the reason the city is visited at all.
Where to Stay in Florence
Florence is the natural base for day trips across Tuscany, including Siena. The Key is at Via Cittadella 22, 5 minutes on foot from Santa Maria Novella station, which is also the departure point for buses to Siena. No taxi, no connecting bus: walk out the door and you are at the station in five minutes.
Full details at The Key.
